Civic culture and Islam in urban Turkey

Abstract

In urban Turkey, voluntary associations, grass-roots protest actions and other forms of civic activities often are organised on the basis of mutual trust and interpersonal obligation, rather than on an individual, contractual membership basis. Trust and reciprocity characterise communal life in general and are the means by which individuals, and particularly women, express and reinforce their family and community identities. These voluntary associations are not based on clan, tribe, family or other primordial ties; rather they represent a free choosing of individuals with whom to associate within the web of one’s acquaintances and community. This creates a political space for women to act publicly without leaving the privacy and security of their communal and gendered roles. Furthermore, this web of already existing community ties is the foundation of a civic culture upon which both Islamic and secular groups build organisational infrastructures among the working class. In this chapter I shall argue that such a civic culture exists and has preceded recent Islamist political successes in Turkey. This leads me to question the usefulness of speculation about the compatibility of Islam and civil society. Informal civic association teaches citizenship skills that may, in time, lead to further politicisation and institutionalisation and thus pave the way for a more participatory system and encourage more accountable governance.